WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) issued the following statement after the House passed the U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act (H.R. 2262), a measure unanimously passed by the Senate last week and heavily championed by Sen. Cruz:

“This week, the United States Congress carried President Reagan’s torch forward by passing this legislation. Commercial space exploration presents important new opportunities for us all. Our nation must continue to provide a framework in which the American people can innovate and create private commercial, scientific, and cultural enterprises that can extend our reach throughout the cosmos. I am proud to have led this effort along with my colleagues Sens. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), as well as House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas). I strongly urge President Obama to act swiftly in signing this measure into law so that the state of Texas and our entire nation can confidently continue reshaping the future of human space exploration.”